The Burden of Pride
by Dulin
Summary: Kuchiki Byakuya wants to talk to his sister's future commanding officer. Angst, bits of fluff, missing scene


**Title** : The Burden of Pride

**Author** : Dùlin

**Characters** : Kuchiki Byakuya, Shiba Kaien

**Rating** : PG

**Warnings** : Angst, missing scenes from the time Rukia got into the army, and fluff because it's Kaien we're talking about.

**Disclaimer** : _BLEACH_ belongs to Tite Kubo and whoever it is that makes the anime. Which are, as you might have noticed, not me.

**A/N : **My muse and beta L-sama is channeling Shiba Kaien for me, and she gave me almost all of his lines of dialogue after I outlined the situation to her. I loff her.

****

"Ah ! Wait a minute, Lieutenant Shiba ! I will announce you …"

"Don't sweat it ! He's expecting me."

Kuchiki Byakuya did not have the time to wonder about the commotion before the door to his office opened and Shiba Kaien let himself in, firmly closing the door in the face of the attendant who was desperately trying to respect at least a semblance of the etiquette the Sixth Division Captain required of his subordinates.

Kaien turned around, grinned, and sauntered to the chair, sitting down without being invited to and putting his feet up on Byakuya's desk. The new head of the Kuchiki clan raised an eyebrow and put the report he had been reading down.

"This is a place of work," he said coolly.

"It's not mine, buddy," Kaien replied with a shrug. "Now can I know why the hell I had to come up here, I quote, 'without delay' ? 'Cause whoever delivered your message was all hush-hush. And you know I love you, but I do happen to have some stuff to do, y'know ? I'm a Lieutenant now."

"I have a favor to ask of you."

That was enough to make Kaien blink and put his feet back down on the ground, just in case Byakuya kept on saying things that could potentially make him fall on his ass. That was what made Byakuya interesting. He looked like a stuck-up prick ninety percent of the time, and then, he said something that left you looking stupid with your mouth hanging open.

"It is about my sister," Byakuya said.

"Huh, you haven't forgotten I'm already married, right ?"

Byakuya glared at him, and ignored the jab.

"She will enter the Gotei 13 soon, and I heard that your Division accepted her application."

"Let me think … Rukia, right ? Yeah, Fourth Division said they might be interested too, but in the end she chose us. I had a look at her grades. She's not top of the class, but she's good. With a bit of training, she'll make it to a seated officer position in no time."

"I want her name pulled off the list of officer candidates."

Kaien blinked again, and checked that both of his feet were firmly on the ground. Yep, he'd apparently heard that right. Byakuya's leaps of logic sometimes defied even his wildest predictions.

"Can I ask you a question ?"

Byakuya nodded.

"I know you spent a lot of time looking for her, and she's the second Rukongai brat to make it into the Kuchiki clan and all, but … why do you hate that kid ?" Kaien asked, and he was serious enough that it was Byakuya's turn to blink.

It was when Byakuya looked away that Kaien became convinced that something was up with his friend. Kuchiki Byakuya did not look away, ever. Kuchiki Byakuya could have stared down a snake and then gone on his merry way like nothing happened.

"I made a promise to Hisana, Kaien," he said in a low voice.

"To … ruin her sister's life and military career ?"

There it was, the glare that could freeze anyone into meek submission. As it was, it actually made Kaien feel better to see it. A glaring Byakuya was a Byakuya who wasn't hiding his emotions behind the wall of propriety.

"The missions given to ranked officers are significantly more dangerous than those assigned to foot soldiers, and you know it as well as I do."

"So basically, you want me to watch the kid and make sure she doesn't get hurt ?"

Byakuya wasn't looking away this time.

"If you want to put it that way."

"I don't know, man," Kaien said, scratching his head. "I mean … I already have one Kuchiki whose ass needs kicking regularly, I'm not sure I can handle two … Fine, fine ! "he added hastily, raising his hands in surrender as the glare hit him back full force. "But if she finds out, I'm telling her this was your idea !"

It was so Byakuya, scheming all of this behind the kid's back rather than tell her. Anything rather than admit that he had a heart and would skewer the first one who would so much as look at his 'little sister' in a funny way.

"Thank you for your assistance," Byakuya said, already returning to his paperwork.

It was intended as a dismissal, which of course meant that Kaien completely ignored it in favor of walking around the desk and slapping him on the shoulder.

"Don't thank me, man ! It's gonna cost you a hell of lot in babysitting fees !"


End file.
